


My Sanctuary

by CandiedClassics



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Advice, Angst, Confrontations, Emotional, Injured Lance, M/M, Post-Season/Series 04, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, they gonna finally argue about their self sacrificing problem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 20:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15008780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandiedClassics/pseuds/CandiedClassics
Summary: “Keep talking…thas’ a first…”“Yeah well, if we survive this, it won’t be the last.” Keith supplied, knowing that, should whatever god that existed let them live through this hell storm, he would want to hear Lance’s beautiful voice every moment of every day.And what a hell storm it truly was.--------Keith and Lance are stranded on a volcanic planet on the cusp of eruption, and a kind elder gives them a look at what it means to be a martyr for a cause so much bigger than yourself.





	My Sanctuary

 

 

 

Lance was an idiot.

 

Keith would never forgive him for this.

 

It was only fair.

 

Because if Lance died, Keith would never forgive himself either.

 

“C’mon Lance, stay with me. I’ve got you...keep talking.” Keith instructed, grunting as he adjusted the weight of the extra body on his back, and trying to ignore how unnerving it was to have the other’s arms dangling loose around his neck. He couldn’t see whether or not Lance’s eyes were open due to the Blade of Marmora mask Keith had put over his face. The only thing that told him Lance was still conscious was the soft chuckle he got in response.

 

“Keep talking…thas’ a first…”

 

Lance’s words were thick and slurred, and it was obvious that he was clinging to wakefulness with everything he had, even with his breath getting shallower by the minute.

 

“Yeah well, if we survive this, it won’t be the last.” Keith supplied, knowing that, should whatever god that existed let them live through this hell storm, he would want to hear Lance’s beautiful voice every moment of every day.

 

And what a hell storm it truly was.

 

Keith had had dreams as a child about the sky raining fire down around him. Looking back on it, they might have been more like nightmares. But no visage in a child’s mind could ever compare to the reality of seeing it for himself.

 

Lava and fiery rocks cascaded through the sky overhead like shooting stars, leaving streaks of red and molten destruction in their wake. Keith would have found the sight beautiful had he not been focused on avoiding getting hit by the down pour. Having the body of his teammate on his back didn’t make his reflexes any better either.

 

The only thing keeping the two of them somewhat safe, was that the terrain of the planet Volquiria was as exceedingly rocky as it was barren and had plenty of overhangs to use as shelters at any given turn. The maze of rocky pillars and plateaus they’d been weaving through has begun to blur and leave their earlier path indistinguishable from the multitude of others around them. The only thing that acted as some form of guidance was the soft purrs from the Red Lion in the back of Keith’s mind, telling him that he was heading in the right direction. It helped him keep his focus and to steady his own breathing so that he too didn’t fall prey to the toxic atmosphere.

 

Lance’s cracked helmet was letting in puffs of sulfuric air with every intake of breath, to the point where had Keith been more human, he likely would have fainted by now. Being half alien had its benefits it seems. Lance, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky.

 

Keith was livid with Lance for being so foolish. He should have just listened to him and left to lead the Volqir into the shelter like he’d told him to. The mission was more important, there were hundreds of lives at stake, yet Lance’s focus had been on leaving with Keith at his side and wouldn’t allow for any other option.

 

Maybe Keith _would_ have died in that facility, surrounded by sentries and with no escape left for him except to go down swinging, but at least the mission would have been completed and Lance would have gotten out safe.

 

That’s how it would have worked out had Keith been working alongside another Blade member.

 

But Lance wasn’t another Blade member, and he had certainly proved it too.

 

“C’nt b’lieve you….you were r’lly planin’ t’ die…” Lance slurred as if he’d been able to hear Keith’s thoughts, and the former paladin huffed irritably, hitching Lance up on his back further when he started to slip.

 

“I was planning to stop anymore sentries from getting into the base…dying would have been a small consequence. Getting those Volqir through the base and into the mine shafts safely was more important, the sentries would have killed them if I’d done nothing.”

 

Lance shook his head and huffed, simultaneously amused and exasperated.

 

“Yer an idiot…”

 

Keith would have offered a biting response, had the ground beneath them not chosen that time to violently tremble, making his knees cave to the point where he almost lost balance entirely. He only just managed to catch himself and prevent Lance from slipping off his back, leaning against a nearby rock wall till the quaking passed.

 

“’t’s gonna erupt…we’re not gonna make it…” Lance mumbled, his head lolling on Keith’s shoulder as he tried to look back at the imposing mountain spewing black smoke not too far behind them.

 

“Shut up, we’ll be fine. And don’t you dare black out on me.” Keith commanded, starting to trek forward, only to come to a stop again at the sound of yelling from far above them.

 

“Oh Igneix! My beautiful goddess! Take my body and soul, let my sacrifice quell your anger!”

 

 Keith looked up to see a single Volqir, standing atop one of the tall, rocky pillars nearby, their naked body poised with their many limbs outstretched as if to embrace the sky itself. Despite the addition of two extra arms extended from the waist, the three legs, and the purplish red skin tone, Keith couldn’t help but liken the imagery to that of a human crucifixion.

 

Clearly not all the Volqir had gone to seek shelter in the mine shafts embedded in the neighboring mountain. Among the 9 villages in the area, only two thirds of the full population had shown up to seek safety. Not all of them could be saved.

 

It seemed some didn’t _want_ to be saved anyways.

 

Keith had to tear his eyes away from the shouting Volqir, continuing to trudge further into the rocky maze. Time was of the essence and should they not reach Red soon, the atmosphere would be so clouded with volcanic ash it would be impenetrable, making it impossible to fly through.

 

They’d made it several yards away before the scream of the Volqir could be heard echoing over the maze of rock peaks. Keith didn’t have to look behind him to know that the alien had been greeted by one of the many fiery stars above.

 

The longer the two of them trekked, the louder and more violent the planet’s tremors became, and the thicker the smell of sulfur and noxious fumes grew to the point where Keith was beginning to wheeze on every exhale.

 

Lance had long since gone silent.

 

Keith had to stop at one point to rest his shaking knees, kneeling down and slipping Lance off his body to lay him against a nearby rock. He looked strange with the Blade mask on, almost lifeless, but Keith knew he couldn’t risk checking to see if his friend was conscious or even just try to get a glimpse of the face he’d longed to see for so many months now.

 

They needed to keep going.

 

Keith moved to stand up again, when he felt a jagged blade nestle itself against his jugular.

 

“Don’t try anything funny. Hand over all you’ve got! Money, food, all of it!”

 

The voice behind him was crazed and desperate, and Keith knew that this Volqir was probably just trying to survive like everyone else.

 

But his friend was dying, and his patience was running thin right now, so if Keith was a little too quick to pull his dagger out, he felt it was warranted.

Keith growled as he knocked the blade from the Volqir’s hand, and poised himself with his transformed sword, prepared to strike the other down at a moment’s notice. The Volqir jerked back with a scowl, and for a moment it seemed like they were going to retreat – only for they to suddenly lunge at Keith with their bare hands, ready to choke the life out of him.

 

They were both blocked by staff thrusting itself between the two of them.

 

“That is enough, now. There is far too much strife in this world to make enemies of each other.”

 

Keith looked up at the owner of the voice to see a much taller Volqir, dressed in a long, ceremonial looking robes that concealed their three legs surprisingly well. They were obviously old, and despite the chaos of the world essentially falling to pieces around them, they seemed entirely unconcerned. The elder only sparred Keith a look before turning to the other Volqir.

 

“Come now child. Igneix would not want us to pillage and steal from others. Is this not a time for cleansing and worship?”

 

The Volqir looked affronted and insulted at being addressed with scorn, no matter how gentle, and scrambled to pick up their knife from the ground.

 

“Igneix is wrathful. She punishes us all and burns away our land, and you are a fool to give your soul to her!”

 

Before the elder could speak an arguing word, the Volqir had run off back through the rocky maze. Keith watched them go before turning his attention back to Lance, kneeling down and pressing his fingers to the paladin’s neck to test for his pulse. Faint…. but existent at the very least. Keith brought his hand up to cup Lance’s cheek and bit his lip nervously.

 

There was no way they would make it back to the Red Lion in time. They were going to be stuck there, amidst what would soon be sea of fire and despair

 

“Come with me. You both may take sanctuary in the temple of Igneix.” The elder said, their voice soft and reassuring in ways that Keith desperately needed to hear right now. Lance and he wouldn’t reach Red in time to get off the planet before the eruption, and they were too far away from the shelter at this point. They would just have to try to wait it out and survive however they could in the meantime.

 

Keith nodded his agreement and carefully lifted Lance up, cradling him close to his chest and following behind the Volqir elder who walked with a calm sense of purpose that left the former paladin surprisingly less anxious about the lava cascading through the air around them.

 

The three of them arrived at what must have been the temple several minutes later, and from what Keith could see, it was little more than a hollowed-out rock hut built underneath a precariously perched overhang.

 

For a moment, he was certain that this alien was just loony with age, but that didn’t stop him from following behind, slipping past the curtains over the archway when the Volqir parted them with their staff.

 

From what Keith could see, the home was small and fairly modest, with a simple table and bed layout alongside shelves full of scrolls and what seemed to be a fire pit in the kitchen area. Their seemed to be a second room in the back, but it was closed off by another curtain. The elder gestured for Keith to set Lance on his bed in the corner, and they helped to tuck a blanket around him once he was settled on the straw mattress.

 

“Tell me… what ails you both?”

 

Keith sat down on the edge of the bed and held Lance’s wrist in his hand to keep a steady tab on his pulse, still wary of just how much life the paladin had left in him.

 

“My friend…he ended up exposing himself to noxious volcanic fumes. His helmet was cracked in a battle and he went into the vents to try and reach me…the idiot. He could have died…”

 

 _Still_ could die, but Keith didn’t want to consider that possibility.

 

“I traded helmets with him, but I’m alright. I have…special blood.” He mumbled, hesitant to reveal his Galra heritage around any species that had been plagued by them, for good reason.

 

The elder had already begun to root around the shelves in the kitchen area as he spoke and when they returned, they held what looked to be two deep orange flowers with long, threadlike vines in two of their four hands. They handed one to Keith before carefully looping the vines of the other flower around Lance’s neck, resting the bloom on his chest before removing the Blade mask from his face. Keith surged forward to grab the elder’s hand, panic and anger in his eyes.

 

“Stop, he needs that too—”

 

“Calm yourself, young one. The Ofias flower has the ability to create its own purified atmosphere. Inhaling its pollen should help you both breathe a little easier.” The Volqir explained and sure enough, Keith noticed that Lance’s chest was rising and falling slower, and with a bit more ease.

 

Keith quickly looped his own flower around his neck and sighed at the immediate flood of purer air in his system. The elder left the two of them and went to the kitchen again, rummaging around for this and that. Keith eventually managed to tear his eyes from Lance’s resting face once he was certain his friend had taken several steps back from death’s door.

 

“The northern volcano is erupting… your house could burn down, why aren’t you at the shelters?” Keith asked after a moment. The elder hummed, seemingly amused by his confusion.

 

“Because we all worship Igneix in different ways.” They explained, coming back over to Keith with two cups of what looked to be water in hand. Keith took one and gave it a hesitant sniff to confirm it wasn’t anything acidic or nefarious before knocking it back gratefully.

 

“Some choose to pray to her amongst family and friends, preserving their safety and physical being so that they can continue to worship her long past this cleansing period.” The elder explained, handing off the other cup of water to Keith for him to give to Lance as he continued.

 

“Some choose to stand on the precipice and bear witness to her power first hand, giving sacrifice of their body and soul to her cause. And others, prefer to reject her entirely, as you saw. Few who reject Igneix find sanctity in the shelters, although they are welcome. They find it rather insulting, I believe.”

 

Keith listened as he cupped the back of Lance’s neck and tilted his head up; carefully pressing the cup of water to his lips and forcing him to drink what he could.

 

“So, all of this is some kind of weird ritual for your god?” Keith asked, grimacing a bit when he realized that probably came off rude. But the Volqir seemed unbothered and simply nodded to him. “Then what kind of worshipper are you?”

 

The elder shook their staff knowingly at that, and walked over to the curtain in the back, waving for Keith to follow them.

 

“I’ll show you. Come.”

 

The elder disappeared behind the curtain a moment later and Keith looked back at Lance laid up in bed. He seemed like he was alright for now… Keith hesitantly decided to follow, patting his belt to make sure his dagger was still close at hand, just in case.

 

Pushing back the second curtain revealed another, much larger and darker room that was clearly meant to be the temple of Igneix the elder had spoken of. It was carved out into the face of the precipice they were poised under so that it wasn’t visible from the outside, making the rocky hut appear innocuous compared to the secret it was hiding.

 

The room was circular and painted in shadows, with a large rug in the very center that was decorated in small, iridescent volcanic rocks that glistened from a sliver of light that pierced them from a hole in the ceiling above.

 

 Keith watched as the elder knelt down in front of the rocks and held each of their hands over them. It didn’t seem like anything was happening at first, but eventually Keith started to notice the way the light reflecting off the rocks seemed to pulsate and be absorbed into the wrinkled palms of the aged Volqir with every deep intake of breath. And when they exhaled, the air was suddenly filled with glittering volcanic dust.

 

“I do not worship Igneix in any of those forms…because I do not worship her at all.” The elder explain, looking up into the skylight wistfully. “I speak to her.”

 

Keith hesitantly walked over to the center when the other motioned for him to come forward, kneeling on the rug in front of them and looking up at the sky light as well. It was impossible to see any fine details from such a small chink in the rocks, but occasionally the light would turn orange for a moment, signaling more lava rock had passed over head.

 

“What does that even mean…?”

 

The elder hummed and began to reposition the rocks underneath the light purposefully.

 

“Everyone in this universe has a cause…a reason for their life force to exist. How you dedicate yourself to that cause defines who you are. Many choose to follow that cause without question, using it as a guiding light. Others would much rather stand aside and change that cause for themselves. Igneix is the cause for many Vulqir, including myself, but I found that I would much rather understand her rather than follow her blindly. I seek knowledge, alongside holy revelation. That is my dedication to Igneix.” They sat back and looked up at Keith with a knowing sort of smile.

 

“Tell me, young one. What is your cause?”

 

Keith stared at the volcanic rocks and thought about that for a moment, finding there was only one logical answer to give.

 

“I guess it would be Voltron.”

 

“I see. And how do you dedicate yourself to Voltron?”

 

That was a harder question to answer.

 

“A lot of ways I guess. I don’t worship it…. because I’m a part of it…well was.”

 

“Mhm…”

 

“I mean, I may have left, but I didn’t reject it! I was just…fighting for it in a different way! I still believed in Voltron, I still wanted to defend the universe. I was ready to--! I ….”

 

The elder waited patiently for Keith to work through his words, the rocks clacking together as they formed  a new shape, like that of a sigil.

 

“I sacrificed myself for it. Or at least, I tried to. But it wasn’t just for Voltron. It was for everything! Countless lives, the fate of the universe, and… my family.” Keith looked down at his lap and bit his lip, a wariness settling in his chest that he wasn’t really fond of. Talking about nearly dying for his cause didn’t sound as noble as he had expected it too. Looking back on it, maybe it hadn’t been noble at all.

 

“There is nothing wrong with using sacrifice as worship. It is not common for many people to dedicate themselves so whole heartedly to their cause. It’s truly honorable.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose…”

 

“No, it’s stupid.”

 

 Keith jumped and looked behind him to see Lance standing in the doorway of the temple room, leaning heavily on the frame and looking more than a little weighed down with exhaustion.

 

“Lance?! What are you doing?  You shouldn’t be up right now!” Keith stood up and quickly went over to Lance, only to have his hand bat away irritably when Keith tried to move him back into the other room. The paladin was quick to push Keith aside and stagger further into the room, fixing the elder with a hard look.

 

“I don’t know who you are, but you don’t get to go telling this idiot that his self-sacrificing bullshit is honorable, it’ll just give him more ideas!” Lance snapped, to which the Volqir smiled apologetically and motioned for the other to come closer.

 

“I can see your opinions on this matter are strong. Come, sit with us.” They urged and Lance begrudgingly obeyed, only because he didn’t look like he could stand up straight for much longer. Keith was concerned, and half tempted to just carry Lance back to the bed himself, but decided against it since he knew Lance would only lash out more and possibly hurt both of them in the process.

 

Keith reclaimed his seat beside Lance and instantly noticed that the other refused to make eye contact with him.

 

“Why do you see your friend’s sacrifices for Voltron as dishonorable?”

 

Lance huffed and didn’t seem to know where to begin.

 

“Because he’s never thinking straight when he does it! There are other solutions, but he’s always jumping straight into the one that will get him killed fastest! I don’t care if it’s for Voltron! He can help us more if he’s alive and breathing, not by getting himself blown up in a million pieces!” Lance was actually starting to yell, and Keith subtly leaned away from onslaught, unused to seeing his friend at this level of rage.

“I really hate him sometimes! He’s always doing this… he never thinks things through! He only thinks about himself and the stupid mission, and never about the people he’d hurt most if he were gone!” Keith visibly flinched as Lance’s volume reached a peak, and he noticed the way the other seemed to slump a moment later, as if throwing the words into the air had torn a weight off his shoulders. Keith reached over to set a hand on his back, but was quickly rebuffed when Lance shrugged him off again.

 

“Matt told me what you tried to do during the Noxella fiasco.”

 

Keith froze, his eyes widening and his heart dropping into his gut. He’d really hoped Matt and Coran had forgotten about that event, but clearly they hadn’t even months after the fact. And hearing Lance speak of it now threw a wedge of pain and guilt into Keith’s chest that he had to ignore if he wanted to defend himself.

 

“Lance… what happened at Noxella… we were all trying to do everything we could. I didn’t know if it would have worked, but I had to try—”

 

“No, you didn’t! Stop acting like you always have to give yourself up for some stupid mission! You’re more valuable than that!” Lance yelled in his face and suddenly, Keith couldn’t stop his own rage from building a burgeoning hole in his chest.

 

“Well it’s not like you’re any better! Do you know how terrified everyone was when you sacrificed yourself in that bomb?! Even if you saved Coran, you almost died Lance! What if Hunk didn’t bring back a crystal in time? What if we’d never gotten the castle back?! What then? You’re so stupidly selfless you’d get yourself killed for anyone! You nearly just did!” Keith yelled and tried to ignore the way Lance’s eyes were tearing up as his expression morphed into one of wounded anger and pain.

 

“You don’t know anything! That’s different! You’re such a—”

 

“Young ones, please.”

 

Both boys immediately stopped screaming at each other and turned toward the elder, realizing they weren’t exactly alone at the moment and going silent with shame and embarassment. Keith exhaled and felt the anger deflating from his chest as he watched Lance turn away and angrily wipe at his tears before coughing into his sleeve, his body still weak from exposure.

 

“It is clear to me, that both of you see yourselves as martyrs to your cause, just in different ways. There is nothing wrong with wanting to give yourselves fully, both to your destiny and to those you love, but let me offer some wisdoms”

 

Keith and Lance spared a glance at one another before turning and giving their focus to the elder completely. They watched as the Volqir spread their four hands over the stones once more, inhaling deeply to absorb the light within, and exhaling volcanic dust a moment later as they spoke.

 

“Sacrifice is an act or worship committed by the followers. But living is an act of worship committed by the believers.”  The elder looked between the two of them before turning their head up to the skylight once more.

 

“In this time of violence and war, dying is one of the easiest things anyone can do. Often, it is not our choice when we will die, but giving that death a purpose is sometimes all that a follower can hope for. But believers strive to do something much harder…they must push themselves to live. Whether it be through a torrent of raining fire…or the conquests of a murderous emperor…to live for ones cause despite all that stands against you is an act that honors your cause above all others.” The Volqir reached over and carefully took one of each boy’s hands into one of their own.

 

“So long as you strive to live, for yourselves… “ The elder gently brought their second right hand down and clasped Keith’s hand between the two. “for the ones you love…” They mirrored the action and gently clasped Lance’s hand in the same way. “Then you will always be able to find sanctuary within yourselves… and within each other.

 

The elder brought both boy’s hands together between their own four before pulling away, leaving Keith and Lance to thread fingers with one another, their eyes meeting in a moment that seemed to burn away all the anger and pain from earlier with the intensity of the new emotion shared between them; the glistening volcanic dust and glints of orange light that split the shadowy air leaving the two of them in complete aw of one another.

 

A very loud and familiar roar suddenly shook the rock walls of the cave temple, making both boys jump and break eye contact, forcing the spell that had ensnared them both to dissolve away for the time being. They quickly tore their hands apart before either of them could second guess their actions, both fighting down the rising redness in their cheeks and the awkward tension in the air as they refocused on reality.

 

“That must be Red…I can’t believe she found us.” Keith murmured, standing up slowly and carefully pulling Lance to his feet right after, letting the paladin lean against his side, as it was obvious his energy had been completely expended during his yelling spree.

 

“We better get going… the volcano’s probably already erupting by now. C’mon.” Keith carefully wrapped an arm around Lance’s waist and helped him out of the room, the elder aiding them by using their staff to part the curtains and let them through.

 

Once outside, Keith could see that Red has somehow managed to wedge herself between some of the rocky pillars and was holding her jaws open, with the ramp already extended down and waiting for them.

 

Keith carefully limped out towards her, looking back at the elder for a moment.

 

“Are you sure you’ll be alright here?”

 

The Volqir simply smiled and nodded.

 

“Aye, there is no better time to talk to Igneix. So long as I am in her presence, I will be fine.”

 

Keith nodded in understanding and carefully ascended up the ramp, looking back when the elder spoke up once more.

 

“Remember young paladin, you will always be welcome to claim sanctuary within the temples of Igneix.”

 

Keith could only smile in response as Red’s jaws closed around them, and he stumbled as he felt the jolt of her immediately taking off into the sky to pull off a wire thin rescue. He would need to go up and pilot her soon, to make sure that they got through the Volquirian atmosphere in one piece.

 

But just for that moment, Keith slumped to his knees and held Lance just a little bit closer.

**Author's Note:**

> My entry into The Voltron Games 2018 fan event! I've actually been sitting on this idea for a long time now, but when the prompt of 'alien culture and religion' was released I had no excuse /not/ to do it.
> 
> I wrote this fic three times in two days before I was happy with it and finished this version in under four hours before the deadline.
> 
> I almost died haha


End file.
